The single biggest annual increase in recycling rates for aluminium packaging and drinks cans since records began occurred in 2011.
Alupro has confirmed that in figures released by Defra, the recycling rate for all aluminium packaging has increased significantly by more than 4 per cent.
This puts the overall recycling rate at 45 per cent, with Alupro’s own data showing that the UK achieved a recycling rate of 60 per cent for drinks cans in 2011. This is an increase of more than 6 per cent from 2010.
Alupro executive director Rick Hindley said: “The confirmation that recycling rates for drinks cans as well as aluminium packaging have increased so dramatically is welcome news for the industry.
“It follows a period of significant activity and investment to boost recycling participation and capture rates for aluminium, and all metal packaging, and reflects an increasing awareness of the economic value of recycling aluminium packaging, and the contribution it can make to the viability of a recycling programme.
“Industry funded programmes such as Every Can Counts, Aerofoil and most recently Metal Matters, have not only increased capture rates for drinks cans away from the home and kerbside recycling rates for other metal packaging, they are also delivering a real shift in consumer behaviour leading to increased capture rates for all materials.”
